adams



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. D. ADAMS. ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

110.3111165. Patented Jan. 6,1885.

WITNBSSBS: 111V 111011.'

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A (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2. J. D. ADAMS.

, ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

No. 810,165. Patented Jan.6,1885.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Il Il ATTORNEY.

J. D. ADAMS. EDAD GRADING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

No. 310,165. Pa'beted JmL-6, 1885.

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WITNESSES NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH D. ADAMS, OF MARSHALL, INDIANA.

ROAD-GRADING MACH-INE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,165, dated January 6, 1885.

Application tiled July 2l, 1884.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH D. ADAMS, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Marshall, in the county of Parke and State of Iudiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Grading Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi" the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the class of wheelmachines especially designed for grading and leveling roads, the invention having for its object the production of a machine in which the side draft (caused by the scraper or leveling bar being arranged obl iquely to the axis of the main supportingwheels of the machine) may be uniformly'imp'arted from the hubs of the wheels upon the axle-spindles, thereby obviating the great friction attendant to this class of machines and lessening the draft, also utilizing the mechanism for producing the above-described result, to act as a means for vertically adjusting the scraper or leveling bar, and to prevent the main wheels from slipping from the load when the'machine is in operation; and, further, in means for adjusting the machine as well as the scraper or leveling bar to suit different inclinations of the road; and to this end the invention consists in novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and `set forth in the claims hereto annexed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a view in perspective of my improved machine, showing in plain and dotted lines, respectively, the relative position of the main supporting-wheels when the machine is out or in working position; Fig. 2, a transverse section through the line ai of Fig. l, showing different positions the wheels may occupy; Fig. 3, atop View or plan; Figs. 4:, 5, and (i, detail views, to be hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, A represents the triangular mainframe `of the machine, consisting of 5o the transverse beam or main axle a, right-an- (No model.)

gular beam a', and obliquely-arranged beams a, framed and secured together in any suitable manner.

B B represent the main supporting-wheels of the machine, mounted and secured upon 5 the spindles b b in the usual manner, said spindles having their inner ends provided with right-angular journals b' b', pivoted or worki ing in journal-bearings b2 b2, secured to and projecting beyond the ends of the main axle 6o a. The inner ends ci' the wheel-spindles are also provided with slotted vertical uprights c c, pivotally connected by a transverse bar, C, having a pivoted hand-lever, D, centrally connected thereto, which hand- 6 lever is secured in any desired position it may be adjusted by a small pivoted linger-lever, d, having a spring-pawl, d', adapted to engage the teeth of the semicircular bar d'1, secured to the axle a. 7 By means of the pivoted spindles and abovedescribed operating mechanism, the wheels B 3 may be thrown from their normal right-angular or vertical position with reference to the main axle a to an acute or oblique angle 7 thereto, as shown in dotted lines, Figs. l and 2. The object of this angular adjustment of the wheels .B B is that the side draft of the machine, which is always in one way, (according as the machine is a right or left hand one,) 8o

brings the bearings of the hubs uniformly on the wheel-spindles, whereas without such adjustable spindles the bearings of the hubs of the two wheels must be the under side of the inner end of the spindle and upper surface of 8 the outer end of the spindle of right wheel, and on the under side of the outer end of the spindle and upper side of the inner end of spindle of the left wheel in a lefthanded machine, as shown in the drawings, and vice 9o versa in a right-handed machine; but with the adjustable spindles and main wheels, as above described, there is consequently less friction, and thereby a great saving of draft.

The operation of the lever and cross or trans- 95 verse bar pivotally connecting the spindles, as before described, also serves to raise and lower the scraper or leveling bar H.

The wheels B B have projecting circular metallic flanges E E, arranged as follows: the 1 left wheel a continuous liange, E, on the outside, and the right wheel a continuous iiange, E', on the inside, ot' a left-handed machine, and vice versa in aright-hand machine. rllhe object attained by the flange is to prevent the machine from slipping from the load, the.

Y tical standard, f, pivotally connected by paral-lel barsff to vertical uprights secured to the main frame of the machine.

To the rear end of the beam a is secured a vertical upright, c, and said upright and standard f are provided with slots in their upper ends, in which is fulcrumed a lever, Gr, having a 'linger lever, g, provided with a spring-pawl, g', adapted to engage the teeth of the semicircular bar g2, secured to said upright c, and thereby secure the lever G in any desired position. By raising or lowering said lever the rear end of the main frame will be respectively raised or lowered.

II represents the usual scraper or leveling bar, having pivoted upon its rear sides dove tailed blocks 71 71 adapted to work in corresponding grooves, i, formed in the vertical uprights I I, secured and braced to the main frame of the machine, for the purpose of guiding and securing the scraper from any lateral movement, while permitting of a free vertical movement in adjusting the scraper to any desired height.

The rear end ofthe scrapenbar is pivotally and adj ustably connected to the pivoted'lever K in the following manner: A vertical bar, J, is secured at its lower end to the scraperbar, and provided at its upper end with a series of horizontal slots, y', terminating at their inner ends in enlarged circular openings j. The pin L, which connects said bar J with the lever K, is so made that at one end its diameter corresponds with the slots j, while at its other end the diameter corresponds with the circular openings j. (See Fig. 4.) The pin L can therefore be laterally adjusted, so that the smaller diameter of the pin will come opposite the slotj, when the bar J can be slid to one side and raised or lowered to admit the pin in any one of the horizontal slots when it is desired to adjust the scraper-bar, after which the pin can be adjusted so as to permit the largest diameter of the pin to enter the opening j, thus securing or locking the bar in position. By means of the pivoted lever K, having a iinger-lever, 7;, and a springpawl, lo', adapted to engage the teeth of the semicireular bar 7s?, the scrapcr-bar can be vertically adjusted and secured in any desi red position when in operation. rIhe front end of the scraper-bar can also be vertically adjusted7 and which is accomplished in the following manner: A vertical bar, M, secured to the scraper-bar, is provided at its upper end with a toothed bar, m, which slides in a guide-bar, m', secured to the bar or upright I, and meshes with a toothed segment, n, secured to a lever, N, and by raising and lowering said lever the scraper-bar will be vertically adjusted, and can be secured in any desired position by the linger-lever 91,,havinga spring-pawl, n2, adapted to engage the teeth of the semicircular bar n".

I am aware that it is not new to pivot the scraper-bar to vertical uprights, said uprights passing through suitable guide-pieces, so that the scraper-bar may be guided in adjusting it to different elevations; and I therefore make no broad claim to such construction.

It will be observed that by my improved machine, as above described, I am enabled to adjust the scraper or leveling bar to suit anyT inclination of the road, and also adjust it in accordance with the adjustment of the main supportingwheels.

The drivers seat and the tongue or pole are arranged in the usual manner in this class of machines.

The operation of the machine is obvious from the foregoing, and further description is therefore deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a road-grading machine, the combination, with the scraper or leveling bar and supporting-wheels, ofthe pivoted andadj ustable spindles and the adjustable caster-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose speciied.

2. In a road-grading machine, the combination ofthe pivoted and adjustable spindles and the supporting-wheels provided with the projecting circular metallic iianges, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a road-grading machine, the combination of the pivoted spindles, the connecting-bar common to both spindles, and the operating-lever attached to said connecting-bar at or near the center thereof, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

et. In a road-grading machine, the combination of the slotted caster-wheel standard,

the parallel bars ff', pivoted to each side ot'.

said standard and connecting the same to the main frame, the upright c, slotted at its upper end, and the lever G, fulcrumed in said slotted standard c, and loosely pivoted to the upright f, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

5. In a road-grading machine, the combination of the scraper or leveling bar having the blocks lr 7L, vertical uprights I I, having corresponding guide-grooves for said blocks,

:ind` mechanism for connecting` and adjusting stanbially as and for the purpose herein shown said ber relative to the main frame, substanand described. 1o tially es herein shown and described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 6. The combination, with the scraper or presence of two witnesses. 5 leveling bar and lche pivoted lever K, 0f the JOSEPH D. ADAMS.

4 vertical bar J, having the horizontal slot j, XVitnesses: r enlarged eireular opening j', and aloek-pin CHAS. HENRY TICKNOR,

having its ends oi` different diameters, snb- HIRAM E. HADLEY. 

